1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to brake caliper retracting tools and more particularly pertains to a new brake caliper retracting tool for pushing a brake caliper piston into a piston housing to provide space for installing a brake pad in the caliper.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of brake caliper retracting tools is known in the prior art. More specifically, brake caliper retracting tools heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,293; U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,899; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 320,540; U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,261; U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,053; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,421,324 which are all incorporated by reference herein to the extent necessary for purposes of understanding and enabling the present invention.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new brake caliper retracting tool. The inventive device includes a housing with proximal and distal ends, and an inner surface defining an interior cavity in the housing. An elongate shaft is slidably extended through the distal end of the housing into the interior cavity of the housing to permit slidable extension and retraction of the shaft in and out of the interior cavity of the housing. A plunger is disposed in the interior cavity of the housing and is coupled to a proximal end of the shaft. A backing plate is coupled to the distal end of the housing. A pushing plate is coupled to a distal end of the shaft. A passage extends through the proximal end of the housing and is designed for connecting to an air supply to permit passage therethrough of air into the interior cavity.
In these respects, the brake caliper retracting tool according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of pushing a brake caliper piston into a piston housing to provide space for installing a brake pad in the caliper.